In Sermon Illustrations: "Surprises"

Calling Others To God

Contributed by Dennis Jones on May 28, 2007

CALLING OTHERS TO GOD A few years ago a man began feeding the birds on a regular basis in our backyard. At first, some of the birds were greedy. They weren’t sure if there would be enough food to go around. The starlings were especially mean, which doesn’t surprise anyone familiar with birds. They ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Dr. Helen Roseveare, Missionary To Zaire ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire (formerly the Belgian Congo), told the following story: A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 65:24

Tags: God's Omnipotence

The Call To Worship Had Just Been Pronounced ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

“The call to worship had just been pronounced starting Easter Sunday Morning service in an East Texas church. The choir started its processional, singing ‘Up from the Grave He Arose’ as they marched in perfect step down the center aisle to the front of the church. The last lady was wearing shoes ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Listen To This Reality Check From Greg Gibson ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jun 26, 2007

Listen to this reality check from Greg Gibson from his website Jesussaidfollowme.org: Our Finite, Human Brains Can’t Fully Understand the Supernatural, Divine, Infinite, Omniscient Mind of God If we could fully understand God with our finite, human brains, then He would have to be like us, and ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church Doesn't Need Squirts

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jun 7, 2009

THE CHURCH DOESN'T NEED SQUIRTS Soren Kierkegaard once wrote about a town where a fireman lived. Everyone liked the fireman because he was a nice guy. He made it a habit to be gentle and kind, which was unusual for firemen, who were supposed to be tough. There was a fire one day, and the fireman ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Baptist

Chargers Vs. Broncos

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 16, 2009

I was looking for modern day example of Paul’s heart, and I found it to some degree in an NFL football player. In a game between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos on December 10, 2006, Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (known as L.T.) took his position the same way he had done ...read more

Tags: Humility, Sports

We Bring You Us!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

"WE BRING YOU US!" Michael Sattler tells the story of Christmas 1930. His wife had just passed away the month before, and he was lonely and heartsick. But mostly, he worried about the type of Christmas his girls would have. When Christmas morning came, they opened their presents with unusual ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Tags: Christmas Advent

The Reason Behind An Unusual Hymn Singing ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2009

The Reason Behind an Unusual Hymn Singing Practice is Discovered Sometime in the last decade of twentieth century, a young pastor who was a fresh graduate from a renowned seminary was assigned to shepherd an old church in a remote village. The church was founded and built sometime in the late ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Tags: Church Practices

R.c. Chapman On Psalm 68:19

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 29, 2010

R.C. CHAPMAN ON PSALM 68:19 Robert Chapman is not too well known among Christians. He did not author any monumental books. His friends said he would never make a good preacher. Chapman was not a world-wide evangelist. He lead no great mission to foreign lands; instead he laboured for 70 years in a ...read more

Tags: Blessing

Denomination: Brethren

What Really Matters?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Nov 19, 2014

A young woman woke up early one day, she was so excited. She said: THIS WILL BE A WONDERFUL DAY. She looked in the mirror to discover she ONLY HAD THREE HAIRS ON HER HEAD. She thought for a while and decided she would BRAID her hair. She thought her BRAID WITH THE Three HAIRS was so pretty. SHE ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-2

Tags: Vanity, Attitude

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Take It First To The Lord In Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Palitha Jayasooriya on Apr 3, 2017

Take it to the Lord in prayer My mobile phone crashed a few months ago and I had to switch to my wife's old one as a temporary measure. On the first day of using the phone, there was one particularly important feature that neither I nor my wife could grasp, though we tried to figure it out for a ...read more

Scripture: John 16:24

Tags: Prayer, Trusting God, Trusting Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Death Of An Eagle

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Dec 29, 2020

There was a talented young Indian boy that loved hunting. One of his goals was to get an eagle. He so needed the eagle to build his elaborate head dress. All the eagles would fly around the young boy and mock him. He could never be the chief without a beautiful eagle feather head dressing. The ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:26-30, Isaiah 54:17

Tags: Weapon, Effective

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Great Funeral Illustration

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

A certain nobleman had a garden which he left to the care of a faithful servant, whose delight it was to water the seeds, support the stalks of tender plants, and to do everything he could to make the estate a paradise of flowers. One morning the gardener rose expecting to find his favorite blooms ...read more

Tags: Dying, Funerals, Death, Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Truth Will Always Come Out.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2022

We live in a generation of government corruption and evil that is unparalleled. How long will God tolerate this? The Bible says in Luke 8:17 (NLT), "For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to ...read more

Tags: Evil, Truth, Corruption, Last Days, Lies, Government, Reaping  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lesson On Kindness

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on May 11, 2022

WHAT LESSONS ARE WE TEACHING ON KINDNESS? I love the story of a women’s softball game between CENTRAL OREGON and WESTERN OREGON. Central Oregon had the lead and Western Oregon had scored and made the game much closer. A freshman player girl from Western Oregon stepped to the plate. Her name ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32, John 15:13

Tags: Help, Kindness

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Once Shaved, Always Shaved!!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 23, 2022

After twenty years of shaving himself every morning, a man in a small southern town decided he had been doing that long enough. He told his wife that from then on he’d let the local barber shave him each day.The man went to the barbershop which was owned by the pastor of the local Baptist church. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39, 1 John 5:10-13

Tags: Grace, Salvation, Humor, Eternal Security, Jokes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Words In The Spirit

Contributed by D. Marie Hamilton on Apr 16, 2011

WORDS IN THE SPIRIT When I was asked to be the preacher for the North Little Rock Ministerial Alliance Community Thanksgiving Service, I was floored. I didn't think that anybody thought that much about me. I was honored by the gesture, but the moment I said "yes," my nerves got the best of me. I ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Methodist

Two Days After Christmas

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Dec 19, 2024

It’s two days after Christmas. The celebrations are over. The presents have been put up. Another Christmas in the books. Christmas 2024 will now take its place among all the Christmases passed. I wonder what Mary was thinking two days after the first Christmas. It’s been quite a ride. How could she ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 1:18-24, Hebrews 4:14-16, Philippians 2:1-16

Tags: Manger, Birth, Joseph, Census, Catteau, Mary, Christmas, Bethlehem  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Boss Of A Big Company Needed To Call One Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Oct 10, 2001

The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialled the employees home telephone number and was greeted with a child’s whispered, "Hello?" Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a youngster, the boss ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Parable Lost Coin, Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Independent/Bible

When Joseph Ton Was A Pastor In Romania He Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2002

When Joseph Ton was a pastor in Romania he was arrested by the secret police for publishing a sermon calling for the churches to refuse to submit to the Communist government’s demand for control over their ministries. When an official told him he must renounce his sermon, he replied, "No, sir! I ...read more

Tags: Endurance